This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before using herbs, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition.
Stephania root contains tetrandrine and fangchinoline, alkaloids that act as calcium channel blockers, helping relax blood vessels and reduce blood pressure. These compounds also demonstrate anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting inflammatory mediators and modulating immune cell activity. The herb's diuretic properties promote fluid excretion through the kidneys, making it useful for edema. Evidence Level: C.
Does Stephania root interact with any medications?
Stephania root may interact with immunosuppressant medications, as its immunomodulatory compounds like tetrandrine could interfere with their therapeutic effects. Due to its hypotensive properties, it may enhance the effects of antihypertensive drugs, potentially causing blood pressure to drop too low. Always consult a healthcare provider before combining Stephania with prescription medications. Evidence Level: C/Traditional.
What is the recommended dosage for Stephania root?
The typical adult dosage for Stephania root is 5-10 grams as a decoction when prepared traditionally, or approximately 300mg of standardized extract taken twice daily. Dosage may vary based on the specific condition being treated and individual factors. Always follow product label instructions or consult a qualified herbalist for personalized dosing guidance. Evidence Level: Traditional.
Is Stephania root safe during pregnancy?
Stephania root is considered unsafe during pregnancy and should be avoided. Traditional Chinese Medicine contraindicates its use in pregnant women. Additionally, there is a critical safety concern regarding potential adulteration with Aristolochia species, which contain nephrotoxic and carcinogenic compounds. Pregnant women should never use Stephania root without explicit guidance from a qualified healthcare provider. Evidence Level: Traditional.
Can Stephania root help with arthritis and joint pain?
Stephania root has been used traditionally in Chinese Medicine to treat wind-damp joint pain and swelling associated with arthritis. Research suggests its active compounds, particularly tetrandrine, possess anti-inflammatory properties that may help reduce joint inflammation and pain. However, clinical evidence remains limited (Level C), and more rigorous studies are needed to confirm efficacy for arthritis treatment.
What are the side effects of Stephania root?
Common side effects of Stephania root may include gastrointestinal discomfort such as nausea or stomach upset. Due to its blood pressure-lowering effects, some individuals may experience hypotension, particularly when taking other antihypertensive medications. Proper botanical identification is essential, as confusion with toxic Aristolochia species has caused serious kidney damage in documented cases. Evidence Level: C/Traditional.
PubMed-compiled information sheet
This sheet was compiled from PubMed (NIH) abstracts using AI assistance. Every factual claim is cited to a real PubMed article (see the source list). It has not yet been human-reviewed — confirm with a healthcare provider before use.
Compiled from 30 PubMed articles · model: gemma4:31b
Summary
Stephania Root (Stephania tetrandra) is a traditional Chinese medicine used for its analgesic, diuretic, and antihypertensive properties [PMID:26899361], primarily characterized by the presence of bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids [PMID:35432428].
Background
Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, known in Chinese as 'Fen Fang Ji' or 'Fangji', is a plant distributed across tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and Africa [PMID:32336965, PMID:32497674].
Traditional uses
It is used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat arthralgia caused by rheumatism, wet beriberi, dysuria, eczema, inflamed sores [PMID:32336965], edema [PMID:32497674], hypertension, asthma, tuberculosis, dysentery, hyperglycemia, malaria, cancer, and fever [PMID:26899361].
Active compounds
The primary active components are bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, most notably tetrandrine [PMID:26899361, PMID:39151800], fangchinoline [PMID:41242135], and coclaurine [PMID:39458997]. Other isolated compounds include limacine, N-trans-Feruloyltyramine, and Stephtetrandrine A-D [PMID:34348525].
Mechanism of action
Tetrandrine acts as a calcium channel blocker [PMID:26899361] and interacts with M receptors for cardiovascular effects [PMID:12466045]. It modulates signaling pathways including reactive oxygen species (ROS), autophagic flux, the caspase pathway, and targets SIRT5 to induce ER stress in melanoma cells [PMID:26899361, PMID:39850232]. Coclaurine inhibits EFHD2, downregulating the NOX4-ABCC1 signaling pathway [PMID:39458997]. Fangchinoline targets FAU to induce senescence in circulating tumor cells [PMID:41242135].
Clinical evidence
Evidence BHypertension
Tetrandrine has been found effective in clinical trials for the treatment of hypertension [PMID:26899361, PMID:12466045].
Evidence BSilicosis and Lung Cancer
Clinical trials indicated tetrandrine is effective against silicosis, inflammation, and lung cancer without toxicity [PMID:26899361].
Evidence CDiabetic Kidney Disease (DKD)
S. tetrandra demonstrates value in preventing and treating DKD by regulating inflammatory responses, antagonizing oxidative stress, and improving glomerular endothelial function [PMID:41031161].
Evidence DNephrotic Syndrome
A herbal pair of S. tetrandra and Astragalus membranaceus reduced serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, IL-6, BUN, and urinary protein in rat models [PMID:36678585].
Evidence DPulmonary Fibrosis
Tetrandrine alleviated pulmonary fibrosis in mice by regulating lung microbial communities and ameliorating alveolar epithelial cell senescence [PMID:39510818].
Evidence D
Safety & adverse effects
While tetrandrine is described as minimally toxic [PMID:39510818], some reviews list S. tetrandra as a source of renal toxic alkaloids [PMID:26670420]. A critical safety concern is the frequent adulteration or substitution of S. tetrandra with the nephrotoxic and carcinogenic Aristolochia fangchi [PMID:26632529, PMID:18404356]. This substitution has led to 'Chinese-herb nephropathy', characterized by progressive interstitial fibrosis, end-stage renal disease, and urothelial carcinoma [PMID:12505369, PMID:10841870, PMID:9090927].
Evidence summary
Evidence ranges from high-level clinical trial reports for hypertension and silicosis to preclinical animal and cellular studies for oncology and renal protection. A significant portion of the literature focuses on the critical need for quality control to prevent toxic substitution with Aristolochia species.
2.PMID: 26632529 (2016) — Differentiation between two "fang ji" herbal medicines, Stephania tetrandra and the nephrotoxic Aristolochia fangchi, using hyperspectral imaging. · Phytochemistry
3.PMID: 41031161 (2025) — Stephania tetrandra S. Moore: a promising candidate drug for treating diabetic kidney disease. · Frontiers in pharmacology
4.PMID: 39850232 (2024) — Tetrandrine targeting SIRT5 exerts anti-melanoma properties via inducing ROS, ER stress, and blocked autophagy. · Journal of pharmaceutical analysis
5.PMID: 32336965 (2020) — A critical review: traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (Fen Fang Ji). · Phytochemistry reviews : proceedings of the Phytochemical Society of Europe
Government sources
No direct government monograph is available for this herb. The content below is AI-generated and has not been verified against an authoritative government source. Use the search links to check official sources before relying on this information.
Tetrandrine targets SIRT5 to exert anti-melanoma properties [PMID:39850232], and fangchinoline inhibits systemic metastasis by inducing senescence of circulating tumor cells [PMID:41242135].
6.PMID: 34348525 (2023) — Stephtetrandrine A-D, bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids from Stephania tetrandra. · Natural product research
7.PMID: 9090927 (1997) — Belgian (Chinese herb) nephropathy: why? · Journal de pharmacie de Belgique
8.PMID: 39151800 (2024) — Development of Stephania tetrandra S. MOORE hairy root culture process for tetrandrine production. · Journal of biotechnology
9.PMID: 32497674 (2020) — History of uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, quality control and toxicity of the root of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore: A review. · Journal of ethnopharmacology
10.PMID: 12505369 (2002) — Renal interstitial fibrosis and urothelial carcinoma associated with the use of a Chinese herb (Aristolochia fangchi). · Toxicology
11.PMID: 40383618 (2025) — A CYP80B enzyme from Stephania tetrandra enables the 3'-hydroxylation of N-methylcoclaurine and coclaurine in the biosynthesis of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. · Chinese journal of natural medicines
12.PMID: 18418355 (2008) — Aristolochic acid nephropathy: a worldwide problem. · Kidney international
13.PMID: 33426289 (2020) — The complete chloroplast genome of Stephania tetrandra (Menispermaceae). · Mitochondrial DNA. Part B, Resources
14.PMID: 21322952 (2010) — [Comparative study on metabonomics and on liver and kidney toxicity of Aristolochia fangchi and Stephania tetrandra]. · Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
15.PMID: 39458997 (2024) — Stephania tetrandra and Its Active Compound Coclaurine Sensitize NSCLC Cells to Cisplatin through EFHD2 Inhibition. · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)
16.PMID: 35432428 (2022) — Transcriptome Analysis of Stephania tetrandra and Characterization of Norcoclaurine-6-O-Methyltransferase Involved in Benzylisoquinoline Alkaloid Biosynthesis. · Frontiers in plant science
17.PMID: 23597204 (2013) — Mechanisms of herb-induced nephrotoxicity. · Current medicinal chemistry
18.PMID: 10841870 (2000) — Urothelial carcinoma associated with the use of a Chinese herb (Aristolochia fangchi). · The New England journal of medicine
19.PMID: 29507594 (2018) — Traditional Chinese Medicine for Refractory Nephrotic Syndrome: Strategies and Promising Treatments. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
20.PMID: 39510818 (2025) — Tetrandrine Alleviates Pulmonary Fibrosis by Modulating Lung Microbiota-Derived Metabolism and Ameliorating Alveolar Epithelial Cell Senescence. · Phytotherapy research : PTR
24.PMID: 18404356 (2008) — Authentication of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore (Fang Ji) and differentiation of its common adulterants using microscopy and HPLC analysis. · Journal of natural medicines
25.PMID: 31103904 (2019) — Natural products as multidrug resistance modulators in cancer. · European journal of medicinal chemistry
26.PMID: 30548302 (2019) — Recognition of the toxicity of aristolochic acid. · Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics
27.PMID: 31924150 (2020) — Radix Stephaniae Tetrandrine: An Emerging Role for Management of Breast Cancer. · Current pharmaceutical design
28.PMID: 26670420 (2016) — Renal toxic ingredients and their toxicology from traditional Chinese medicine. · Expert opinion on drug metabolism & toxicology
29.PMID: 40333917 (2025) — Media Composition Effects on Hairy Root Biomass and Tetrandrine Production in Stephania tetrandra. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
30.PMID: 32163850 (2020) — Comprehensive profiling of Stephania tetrandra (Fangji) by stepwise DFI and NL-dependent structure annotation algorithm-based UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS and direct authentication by LMJ-HRMS. · Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis